Every once in a while, a movie comes along that’s as close to flawless as it can get. The most recent film to do that is The Life of Chuck. Oddly enough, this isn’t the first Stephen King adaptation to earn such accolades. The Shawshank Redemption and The Green Mile had similar praise when they were released, both ending up with multiple Academy Award nominations. As we’re still a few months out from awards season, it will be interesting to see if The Life of Chuck follows those other films, but at the very least, it’s one of the best movies of the year.
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Reverse Plot
On the surface, The Life of Chuck is exactly what you might expect. It follows the often charming and heart-warming life of Charles ‘Chuck’ Krantz (Tom Hiddleston). While this isn’t a straightforward horror film like King is well-known for, there are hints of horror undertones that bring The Life of Chuck closer to the horror genre than Shawshank or Green Mile. That doesn’t mean The Life of Chuck is a horror film, far from it, but you’ll get a sense of dread as you watch it… as though something isn’t right.
Split into three acts, the film is told in reverse chronological order, starting with act three. You see the end of the film before you see the beginning, which means you see the end of Chuck’s life before you see how he became the person he is. While Quentin Tarantino can get away with editing a film out of order, it may be a bit more difficult for modern audiences to understand everything that’s going on in The Life of Chuck. Luckily, that doesn’t have a significant impact on the overall enjoyment of the film, even if it may cause some debate about the plot as people leave the theater.
The movie isn’t complex, but it does fall into the category of thought-provoking. By the time the end credits roll, while most people will likely enjoy the film, many will not fully understand what happened over the last two hours, especially during Act Three (the beginning of the movie). It’s a film that warrants a second watch soon after your initial viewing, as many new revelations come to light once you delve into the full life of Chuck.
Acting, Cinematography, and Sound Design
While Tom Hiddleston headlines as the adult depiction of Chuck, this is truly an ensemble cast, and everyone brings their A-game. Chiwetel Ejiofor, Karen Gillan, Carl Lumbly, Mark Hamill, Mia Sara, Violet McGraw, Matthew Lillard, and David Dastmalchian are all featured in the film to varying degrees (some having only one or two scenes), and they all add a considerable amount to the emotional attachment and general enjoyment of the movie. Meanwhile, Chuck as a young boy (Cody Flanagan), middle schooler (Benjamin Pajak), and young adult (Jacob Tremblay) all feel as though they’re playing the same character. They never miss a beat keeping in line with the tone and personality that Hiddleston sets at the beginning of the film.
The acting is phenomenal, but that alone does not make a great film. The cinematography from Eben Bolter (The Last of Us), editing from director Mike Flanagan, and sound design led by Trevor Gates (Childish Gambino music videos, Atlanta) all add significantly to the tone and atmosphere of the film. These aspects are especially important due to the fear and dread the audience is meant to feel at various points throughout the movie. You won’t always know what’s going on, but you’ll know something is wrong.
The Final Verdict
There’s a lot to take in with The Life of Chuck. What seems like a light-hearted film celebrating the life of one person, is actually a complex film about the end of our own personal world. The subtle horror undertones provide an uneasy feeling throughout most of the movie, enhanced by the spot-on sound design, music, editing, and cinematography. Stephen King has crafted a masterpiece, faithfully adapted by Mike Flanagan, that deserves to follow in the footsteps of King’s other non-horror adaptations when it comes time for Academy Award nominations.
About The Life of Chuck
Synopsis: A life-affirming, genre-bending story based on Stephen King’s novella about three chapters in the life of an ordinary man named Charles Krantz.
Director: Mike Flanagan
Writer: Mike Flanagan
Cast: Tom Hiddleston, Benjamin Pajak, Jacob Tremblay, Chiwetel Ejiofor, Karen Gillan, Carl Lumbly, Mark Hamill, Mia Sara, Violet McGraw, Matthew Lillard, David Dastmalchian
Rated: R
Runtime: 1 Hour, 50 Minutes
Releases: June 6, 2025
Bryan Dawson has been writing professionally since the age of 13. He started his career as a video game writer and has since worked for Random House, Prima Games, DirecTV, IGN, AOL, the British Government, and various other organizations. For GNN, Bryan taps into his passion for movies.
- Bryan Dawsonhttps://geeknewsnetwork.net/author/bdawson1/
- Bryan Dawsonhttps://geeknewsnetwork.net/author/bdawson1/
- Bryan Dawsonhttps://geeknewsnetwork.net/author/bdawson1/
- Bryan Dawsonhttps://geeknewsnetwork.net/author/bdawson1/
